Major Gifts Priorities
Defining Our Campus - Instructional Spaces - Student Life Spaces
Morgan Park Academy is in an exciting time of growth and evolution. While we hold onto what makes us a strong community – excellent teachers, small class sizes, and a vibrantly diverse student body – we are also looking carefully at how we look and feel as a 21st Century school. We are looking into the future of learning, and designing spaces both in classrooms and outside on the campus, to ensure that our spaces are modern, ergonomic, and environmentally responsible. There are a number of giving opportunities at this stage of the Academy’s development, divided into three priority categories of Defining our Campus, Instructional Spaces, and Student Life Spaces. Many of them are naming opportunities as well, giving our donors a lasting recognition of their gift. In this brochure you will see many “front burner” projects; by no means is this an exhaustive list, but more of a primer of how potential donors can make a lasting mark on our campus, and in the daily lives of students and teachers. I personally welcome you to peruse these major gift priorities, and hope that they inspire you to participate meaningfully in the look and feel of the new Morgan Park Academy.
Sincerely,
Catherine Raaflaub, Ph.D.
Head of School
111th Streetscape Main Entrance
Designs for the Art Center exterior address safety concerns for students while drawing greater attention to the Academy’s campus, thereby elevating our profile in the community. Features of the proposed 111th street frontage include a new drop-off circle, improving safety and providing a more fitting arrival zone; a more obvious drop-off lane in front of the Art Center for student delivery; an extension of the portico in the gothic style of the current portico area, providing additional coverage for students awaiting pick-up; visitor parking to the east and west of the Art Center; masonry pillars marking the east and west entry into campus parking; decorative wrought-iron fencing delineating the campus; new lighting; landscaping; and
decorative banners.
Naming opportunities:
The [NAME] Center for the Arts
The [NAME] Gates
Dining Hall
The Dining Hall is among the most frequented campus spaces, providing: a place to dine for all three school divisions; a student lounge area throughout the day and after school; a meeting place for student, parent and alumni organizations; community events including the Academy’s annual gala; and a rental space for wedding receptions and large parties. In an effort to preserve this historic space, exterior restoration would include replacing the slate roof and flashing, tuck pointing, and water damage prevention and repair. The interior of the Dining Hall would be fully restored, including a new cove ceiling with flush-mounted pot lights on dimmers, chandelier lighting, energy-efficient central air-conditioning, energy-efficient windows and wood sash restoration, refinished floors and newly painted walls. Technology would be installed, including a drop-down screen with overhead mounted projecting capability, a state-of-the-art sound system, and drop-down staging. In addition to restoring the space, we would partner with a food service vendor to provide organic produce in a more attractive, collegiate-style food court atmosphere.
Naming opportunities:
[NAME] Dining Hall
[NAME] Hall
Tennis Center
Academy students learn the basics of tennis as part of the physical education program, and can compete for the Warriors beginning in Middle School. We would like to expand the tennis courts to be a featured benefit of the Athletic Complex, which also encompasses the Field House, baseball, softball and soccer fields. The existing tennis courts would be resurfaced with the addition of a fifth court, new fencing, nets, and lighting. A promenade will provide spectator seating as well as a sheltered seating area for players.
Naming opportunities:
The [NAME] Tennis Center
The [NAME] Family Tennis Complex
Gymnasium Forecourt
The Gymnasium Forecourt is the outdoor gateway to the Field House, which provides an elegant community gathering center. Phase I of the project (completed Fall 2010) included the installation of an Alumni Athletic Walk of Fame, concrete walkways and attractive landscaping. In addition to the work already completed, we would like to include a formal entranceway with decorative wrought-iron fencing, masonry, additional seating, and a flag pole incorporated as part of the Spirit Circle landscaping.
Naming opportunities:
The [NAME] Family Quadrangle
Gallery Classroom(s)
The Gallery is one of the largest spaces in the Art Center, home to: performing arts classes, including music and drama, during the school day; after school rehearsal space for school productions; and rental space for community arts organizations. Retrofitting this space to meet the needs of these diverse programs would include: creating a ceiling to close off the second floor balcony; storage for equipment such as musical instruments; a new lighting system, sound system, and recording capabilities; as well as the installation of hardwood floors.
A state-of-the-art room divider will separate the room, providing two multipurpose spaces and creating one large studio space above.
Naming opportunities:
There are three potential named spaces in this area.
Arts Center Concourse
The Arts Center Concourse is a popular student space and reception area for many school-and-community wide gatherings. We recently refurnished the Arts Center, converting it to a more comfortable space for students to socialize and study together during and after school hours. A new skylight opens up the south side of the concourse, with modern cut-away railings on the second floor. We would like to further enhance the Concourse with new lighting, a sound system, a stage area and coffee bar for coffee house-style performances, plus new windows and entry doors on the north side.
Naming opportunities:
The [NAME] Concourse
Outdoor Classroom
On a little-used, three-quarter acre of our property on the west end of campus, we propose a natural outdoor classroom. This space will be used for orientations, team-building activities, health and wellness classes, physical education activities, and community gathering. This area will feature native stone and local prairie grasses, and some signature elements of the Prairie School of landscape design of Jens Jensen. Features include a council circle with a fire pit, an area for a rain garden, a butterfly garden, a bird sanctuary, a reading garden, a freshwater pond to study aquatic ecology, and low ropes elements.
Outdoor Council Ring
The Council Ring was the signature piece in many gardens designed by Jens Jensen, a mid-western garden designer/landscape architect in Chicago in the early to mid-1900’s who collaborated with Frank Lloyd Wright and began the “Prairie School of landscape design.” His landscape master plan for our school circa 1923 featured such a council ring, which we now aspire to build.
Naming opportunities:
The [NAME] Outdoor Classroom
Art Studio Classroom
Currently there are three art studios housed within the Arts Center. The intent is to renovate each studio with specialty furniture, art supplies and equipment, storage space, washing stations, new lighting, and technology appropriate for the curriculum of all three school divisions. A new skylight, windows and shades, flooring, art storage drawers and freshly painted walls would provide a userfriendly and modern studio atmosphere for Academy students.
Naming opportunities:
The [NAME] Studio
Preschool Classroom
Our earliest learners are welcomed to a unique learning space which includes new windows, flooring, ceiling and lighting, SMART technology, a reading loft, areas for wet and dry work, house play as well as circle time and activity stations.
Naming opportunities:
The [NAME] Early Learning Center
Classrooms of the Future
New windows, ceiling, lighting, SMART technology and new furniture are the main features of the classroom of the future Academy. The design capitalizes on the size and shape of each room to maximize student interaction, based on Harkness rooms, which were first used widely and successfully at Phillips Exeter Academy.
This room was made possible thanks to the generosity of the [NAME] Family.
Hansen Hall Reception Foyer
As the entrance to the Academy, the Hansen Hall Foyer is a welcome center for the community. Plans for this area include opening the wall to existing office space, and delineating the space with a glass wall and doors to separate the area from the exterior passageway. This area would be newly decorated including an office suite for the receptionist, new furniture for the waiting area, new lighting, and new flooring. We would also use this opportunity to frame and preserve portraits of historical significance.
Recognition:
This foyer was refurbished through the generosity
of the [NAME] Family.
